Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Coach 26/27 SY

ReNEW Schools; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

ReNEW Schools is seeking an experienced Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Coach in Indianapolis to enhance teacher performance and student achievement. This role emphasizes advocacy for racial and ableness equity and the effective implementation of specially designed instruction.

The SDI Coach will collaborate with teachers, provide classroom support, and ensure adherence to Individualized Education Program goals. Ideal candidates will possess Indiana special education certification and a passion for educational excellence.

Qualifications

• Certification or ability to be fully certified by the Indiana Department of Education in special education.
• Strong knowledge of special education laws, IDEAs, and Article 7.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers and teams.

Responsibilities

• Support teachers in achieving high expectations and rigorous learning environments.
• Mentor new teachers on best practices and classroom management.
• Monitor student transitions and timely intervention strategies.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Racial equity mindset

Negotiation skills

Strategic analysis

Education

Indiana special education certification

5-7 years of experience

Knowledge of federal and state special education laws

Job description

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Coach

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a student-focused, innovative educational organization committed to academic excellence. Our mission is to empower and educate all students to think critically, creatively, and responsibly, to embrace diversity, and to pursue their dreams with a purpose. We are a family of excellent public schools in which every student has the opportunity to succeed and the power to create their own future.

Led by forward-thinking leadership and our commitment to prioritizing students, racial equity, and authentic engagement with our families, team members, and communities, our staff have diverse opportunities to develop their careers in a challenging but rewarding environment. We are an organization for people who are passionate about education and who are committed to the Indianapolis community.

Summary of Opportunity

The Unified Student Supports team is looking for an experienced instructional coach with special education certification and/or a coach with significant experience in growing teachers’ application of specially designed instruction. The SDI Coach plays a key role in ensuring that instruction, regardless of the least restrictive environment, addresses students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, accounts for their disability, provides modifications or adaptations to content, and maximizes access to the general education curriculum. As a member of the Unified Student Supports Team, you will receive excellent benefits, opportunities to grow within your role and the organization, and collaborative and supportive colleagues who put students first.

What You’ll Do

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the first and strongest advocate for racial and ableness equity and student-centered approaches to instruction, intervention, and student engagement.
• Utilize the IPS district coaching framework, with fidelity, to enhance teachers’ ability to foster high expectations, rigorous learning environments, and student achievement.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of special education and general education instructional best practices relating to services and academic supports necessary for student success.
• Ability to problem-solve, support, and model instructional strategies.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, building leaders, and USS members.
• Experience in aligning teacher moves to student outcomes in order to translate the critical connection for teachers experiencing the coaching cycle.
• Ability to relate, motivate, and inspire teachers to strive to new heights.
• Provide weekly updates to USS admin on coaching data to inform systematic professional development (for the district, LC, or school).
• Mentor new Teachers of Record on organizational, academic, and culture/climate systems and best practices that allow the teacher to maximize the learning environment.
• Communicate effectively and in a timely manner with school staff, parents and guardians, USS and district staff.
• Attend I-TEAM, MTSS, and/or RDA meetings, periodically or when requested, in order to provide academic (SDI) and intervention or enrichment recommendations for the problem-solving teams.
• Build capacity of special educators and co-teaching pairs by participating in and facilitating school, LC, and district professional learning opportunities that target the need of assigned schools and teachers.
• Facilitate PLC meetings for special and general educators to ensure SDI, UDL, and similar best practices are taught, practiced, monitored, and reflected on.
• Monitor and support student transitions (bridging) and transition planning with an emphasis on instructional needs and supports that may need modification due to the transition.
• Assist Learning Community staff and school principals in setting and attaining goals for student achievement, as well as all goals and big bets identified by the USS team.
• Work with building leadership to discuss, strategize and problem solve student academic instruction and supports.
• Ensure MTSS is the backbone of all special education programming, intervention planning and monitoring, strategic data response, etc.
• Assist in the coordination and articulation of the district’s special education programs and services across and between grade levels.
• Advocate for and model strong school-family partnerships to ensure students have as few barriers to academic achievement as possible.
• Consistently contribute to a positive team culture by being direct and transparent and helpful and collaborative, while prioritizing a customer service orientation.
• Other duties as assigned by the USS administrative team.

Day In the Life Overview

• Support teachers with their preparation of rigorous, engaging lessons and other instructional materials to meet the individual needs of all students.
• Facilitate a walkthrough or paired observation to identify strengths and areas of development in special educators’ and/or co-teaching teams’ instructional practices.
• Engage in a debrief conversation with a special educator, highlighting instructional practices or moves to be implemented in future lessons while ensuring an opportunity for the teacher’s personal reflection, practice, and feedback.
• Review student data (NWEA, class or content CFA, etc.) to draw correlations between instructional practices and student mastery.
• Review coaching data (via the IPS district coaching framework) to determine priorities for the week’s SPED PLC or faculty meeting.

What You’ll Bring: Skills and Mindsets

• Highly-developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy.
• Results/action-oriented; project management skills.
• Racial equity mindset and other critical indicators related to DEI.
• Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills.
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity, and trust.
• Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong strategic analysis skills.
• Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet students’ instructional needs.
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of actors.
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment.
• Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they arise.
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively.
• Ability to execute meetings, calls and emails with professionalism, courtesy and accuracy.
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence.
• Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all.

Education, Certification, and Licensure Requirements

• Certification or ability to be fully certified by the Indiana Department of Education in special education or.
• Hold or eligible for Indiana administrator and/or special education director license.
• 5 to 7 years of experience as a skillful practitioner and evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to execute this role at a high level.
• Working knowledge of federal and state special education laws, rules, and practices including IDEA and Article 7.

FLSA Classification

Exempt

Eligibility for Remote Work

Not eligible

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

EEOC Statement

Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, homelessness or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Indianapolis Public Schools does not tolerate any form of retaliation or bias-based intimidation, threat, or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

Disclaimer

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This job description is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive list of all essential functions and duties performed by the occupant of this position. Factors such as regular and punctual attendance are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function.